Onion Quotes, Tips, Health Benefits, Fun Facts

Onion quotes are not always given the level of attention they deserve. We’ve assembled a fun and interesting list of quotes about the vegetable that provides so much value to so many meals.

Its easy to take for granted the ubiquitous onion. We use them in so many ways. Cooked or raw, it is a great, low calorie way to add flavor to all types of cuisine. But when you peel back the layers (sorry), you find it offers more than just a little added flavor to any meal. Check out these facts and cooking tips.

Fun and Interesting Onion Quotes

Here is a list of some fun and thought-provoking sayings about the garden favorite. Use one next time you’re creating a culinary masterpiece in the kitchen or drop quotation into your next foody blog post.

Onion rings in the car cushions do not improve with time.Erma Bombeck

An onion can make people cry but there’s never been a vegetable that can make people laugh.Will Rogers

I will not move my army without onions!Ulysses S. Grant

Life is like an onion. You peel it off one layer at a time, and sometimes you weep.
Carl Sandburg

It doesn’t matter how precisely the onion is cut as long as the person chewing it is happy.Padma Lakshmi

It’s hard to imagine civilization without onions.Julia Child

Did you know?

Scallions, or green onions, are actually immature yellow, red or white ones, harvested before the bulb begins to form. “Spring and salad onions” are other aliases for immature ones.

Deep Sayings

My last refuge, my books: simple pleasures, like finding wild onions by the side of a road, or requited love.Tracy Letts

Onions and bacon cooking up just makes your kitchen smell so good. In fact, one day I’m going to come up with a room deodorizer that smells like bacon and onions. It’s a fabulous smell.Paula Deen

For an Apple is in it self a little Universe; the Seed, hotter than the other parts thereof, is its Sun, which diffuses about it self that natural Heat which preserves its Globe: And in the Onion, the Germ is the little Sun of that little World, which vivifies and nourishes the vegetative Salt of that little mass.Cyrano de Bergerac

Chili is one of the great peasant foods. It is one of the few contributions America has made to world cuisine. Eaten with corn bread, sweet onion, sour cream, it contains all five of the elements deemed essential by the sages of the Orient: sweet, sour, salty, pungent, and bitter.Rex Stout

Short Onion Quotes

Onions can make even Heirs and Widows weep.Benjamin Franklin

Why should I paint dead fish, onions and beer glasses? Girls are so much prettier.Marie Laurencin

It doesn’t matter how precisely the onion is cut as long as the person chewing it is happy.Padma Lakshmi

Mine eyes smell onions: I shall weep anon.William Shakespeare

Did you know?

Onion is a great substitute for salt and adding flavor to low-sodium diets.

A woman’s chastity consists, like an onion, of a series of coats.Nathaniel Hawthorne

Acting is like peeling an onion. You have to peel away each layer to reveal another.Juliette Binoche

Good intentions are not enough. They’ve never put an onion in the soup yet.Sonya Levien

Life is like an onion: you peel off layer after layer and then you find there is nothing in it.James Huneker

Mine eyes smell onions: I shall weep anon.William Shakespeare

It’s toughest to forgive ourselves. So it’s probably best to start with other people. It’s almost like peeling an onion. Layer by layer, forgiving others, you really do get to the point where you can forgive yourself.Patty Duke

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Here are some informative facts and tips.

The many health benefits

Fights DiabetesThey are a good source of biotin, which helps regulate blood sugar and insulin resistance.

Improves SkinBiotin also contributes to healthy skin and nails. Sulphuric compounds assist in protien synthesis and building cell structure.

Hightens ImmunityThey are rich in antioxidants like vitamin C, as well as the mineral manganese and phytochemicals that help strengthen the immune system.

Fights CancerThe plant flavonoid quercetin found in this vegetable fights cancer-causing free radicals in the body.

Lowers StressQuercetin also helps fight stress. It works by supressing cortisol production, which can damage muscle tissue and break down proteins.

Lowers CholesterolA raw version helps lower LDL (the bad cholesterol) and promotes HDL production (the good cholesterol).

Fights InflammationChronic inflammation, especially joint pain and arthritis, can be battled with anti-inflammatory properties of this vegetable.

Improves Heart HealthSulfuric compounds act as blood thinner which helps prevent clotting, which can lead to improved blood pressure, cardiovascular function and guard against stroke. Quercetin also helps prevent plaque concentrations in arteries.

Did you know?

They consist of up to 90% water plus 8-9% soluble sugars. The rest is minerals, fats, sulfur compounds and proteins.

Why cutting makes you cry?

Cutting and slicing releases a volatile gas (propanthial s-oxide). When the gas reaches the eye, sulphenic acid is formed. The result is the familiar stinging sensation followed by tears. Even small amounts of the chemical released into the air can irritate the eyes.

How to cut an them without tears?

Here are a few simple tips to help reduce eye irritation and tears when cutting these vegetables:

Chill them in the refrigerator for 30 minutes prior to cutting.

Avoid cutting the root end, which has the highest concentration of sulphuric compounds (eye irritants).

Cut it under running water or while submerged under water.

What is the best way to store them?

Keep whole, unpeeled varieties in a cool, dry place with good ventillation. A mesh bag provides good ventilation. Avoid storing them in plastic bags. The lack of ventillation will make for a shorter shelf life. Wrap sweet onions in paper towels or newspaper and keep refrigerated for longer storage life.

How to avoid bad breath?

Sauté them with a low to medium heat. Cooking before eating can reduce onion breath. If eaten raw, your breath can be freshened by chewing a citrus peel or sprig of parsley, or rinsing your mouth with equal parts lemon juice and water.

What’s the difference between yellow, red and white varieties?

Yellow (Brown)

The very popular yellow variety is a great all purpose vegetable. It has a sweet, mild taste and is full flavored. The yellow version is good for carmelizing, turning a rich, dark brown color. It provides the distinctive flavor to French onion soup.

Looking for a sweet variety? Here are some popular choices:

Maui – Has a less sulfur taste, more sweet and mild.

Vidalia – This popular sweet and low sulfur vegetable came from Vidalia, GA region.

Walla Walla – The pride of Washington state, this variety has a very mild flavor.
The Walla Walla’s greater water and sugar content means it has a shorter shelf life than most others.

Red

The delicious red variety is often used in salads and sandwiches for added color and taste. They can have a moderate to very pungent range of flavor.

White

The white variety is used less frequently than either yellow or red varieties. Whites are commonly used in Mexican and Southwestern cuisine as well as in salads. They can range in pungency but have a crisper flavor than other kinds..

Did you know?

Onions are toxic to many animals including cats and dogs. As members of the Allium family (including garlic, chives and leeks), they contain N-propyl disulfide, which damages hemoglobin in the bloodstream. The condition is called hemolysis. Red blood cells are ruptured and flushed from circulation, producing red or brown colored urine. The resulting anemia can lead to damage or failure of internal organs and may even lead to death of the animal.